Central men's tennis team ends regular season strong
AJ Wilkins goes 4-0
Pella, IA (04/28/2025) — DUBUQUE- The Central College men's finished its conference slate with two matches Friday.
A late location change moved the first match against the University of Dubuque to Cedar Rapids, The Dutch defeated the Spartans (9-20, 2-6 American Rivers) 6-1. Later in the day the squad traveled back to Dubuque to take on Loras College and it won 5-2.
Against Dubuque the Dutch swept the doubles point with AJ Wilkins (senior, Grinnell) and Ayden Fletcher (senior, Waukee) won 7-5 at No. 1. Alex Slaymaker (sophomore, Geneseo, Ill.) and Travis Subbert (sophomore, McKinney, Texas, North HS) won 6-2 at No. 2 and Ernest Alvarez Chedzoy (sophomore, Kerrville, Texas, Tivy HS) and Benny Ramker (freshman, Waverly, Waverly-Shell Rock HS) won by forfeit at No. 3
Central took care of business in the singles matches, winning five of the six. The lone loss came from Fletcher in which he battled to force a third set tiebreak after losing the first set. Wilkins won his match 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 and Ramker won 6-4, 6-3 at No. 3. Slaymaker, Chedzoy, and Subbert only lost three combined games. Slaymaker won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4, Chedzoy won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5 and Subbert won by forfeit at No. 6.
Against Loras (7-13, 2-5 American Rivers) the Dutch also swept the doubles matches. Fletcher and Wilkins won 6-4 at No. 1, Jack Briggs (freshman, Pella) teamed up with Ramker to win 6-0 at No. 2 and Slaymaker and Subbert also won 6-0 at No. 3.
Central took four of the six singles matches with two coming in third sets. Briggs fought back after losing the first set 6-2 to win 7-6 (7-3) in the second set and 7-5 in the third set.
Wilkins also won in the third set after winning 6-1 in the opening set, before losing 6-4 and then he dominated 6-0 in the third set. Ramker remained undefeated on the day, winning 6-4, 7-5 at No. 4 and Gavin Jablonski (sophomore, Marshalltown) won 6-0, 6-3 at No. 6.
These matches end the regular season for Central as it finishes with a 6-2 conference record to secure the No. 3 seed in the American Rivers Conference tournament which starts Tuesday. The Dutch will host the first-round rematch against Loras, the time is still to be determined.
